People you "know "coming to your unit for care

[anewday]

Hello. I was wondering if anybody ever ran into people they know outside of work on the job. Like a neighbor, former co-worker, former classmate, or even someone you don't get along with etc... coming to your unit for care... I am still a student extern/tech and this has happened to me, but was lucky enough to be assigned to other patients on the unit. It has made me feel very uncomfortable and I can only imagine how the patient would feel. It's a small world and working at one of the main hospitals in the city where I was born and raised, has made me realize that this might happen even more often. How is this handled? As a nurse can you switch the patient with another nurse to handle their care if it would create an uncomfortable situation?

[diane227, LPN, RN]

Yes, some I have cared for, depending on their request. I usually go in and say hello, let them know that I am there and tell them to call me if they need something. I don't hang around in their room or treat them any differently than anyone else.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

speaking as a patient

I would refuse point blank to be cared for by anyone I knew. I can't imagine much worse, in fact, than being nursed by someone I went to uni with, or was taught by...shudder. No way!

I would hope that they had the manners to get themselves transferred to another patient before I had to make a scene about it.

OP - can you imagine allowing one of your classmates to attend to your BMs or give you pain meds per rectum?

At least I'd know how they were trained...and I'd know they'd know what they were doing.

If I was ever hospitalized here, I'd REQUEST my floor if I could. Everyone who works here has said that at one time or another.

I actually just took care of someone's dad that I went to high school with - and she told me she was very happy to see I was taking care of her dad; said it was nice to see "home folks" and know that he had someone looking out for him (not that I personally worry on this floor myself). And one day I walked into a patient's room and realized I went to high school with his wife...and just a month ago I took care of someone's mom that I also went to high school with - he was actually my senior class president! He emailed me on Facebook and said "thank you so much for taking such good care of my Mommie". Made me cry.

We are a huge academic medical center known for cancer treatment and research - so I'm not surprised I've run into as many people as I have. I'm three hours from where I went to high school.

Then again, I went to high school in a tiny town where everyone knew everyone else's business anyway.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

I really believe in the pts best interest and yours as the RN I would suggest you think carefully about looking after somebody you know well outside work. My rationale is that if something goes wrong you would be unable to be impartial,

And I would say that depends on the RN; having spent time in the military I'm very good at separating work from play, so to speak. If the pt wanted someone else and requested so, I'd completely understand and would not be offended.

When I took care of T's dad, I'll admit I worried a bit more about him once I learned his dx (which was actually what I'd suspected on admission, to be honest, and I was really upset to find out I was right because I really wanted to be wrong). But I didn't take that home with me - and I certainly didn't clue T or her family in once I learned the dx, because I had it confirmed before they did.

I DID bring him two six-packs of natural ginger ale for his nausea for his trip home and a card at d/c, because his daughter and I were friends and because I would do that for anyone I knew if I heard they were in the hospital. But I came in on my day off and did it so it didn't look preferential.

[libbyjeanne]

There has been a couple people that I know personally who came to my floor. One was a new admit from the ER and I point blank refused the pt and offered to take another nurse's "busy pt" so wouldnt have to take care of my friend. I too feel that I would not want to be cared for by someone I know, so I dont care for anyone I know personally. Living in a small community, I am sure this will happen many more times to come.